Vulnerability and resiliency: How climate disasters activate latent social assets

Abstract

Tropical storm Nicole and hurricane Tomas exposed the economic, political, and environmental vulnerability of Mesa Sur, a coffee-farming community in southern Costa Rica, yet also revealed latent assets. In the face of climatic adversity, the community organized and, thus, exhibited its social adaptive capacity and amplified its resiliency. Community members’ engagement with the state resulted in short-term assistance from the state as well as long-term plans for collaborative and integrated rural development. Data were gathered via a case study approach that involved interviews, participant observation, secondary literature, and media reports.